Legal aspects of proxy practices in clinical psychiatry in India.

Proxy procedures in psychiatry include proxy consultations, proxy prescriptions, covert and refill medications. Before Mental Healthcare Act (MHCA) 2017, there was minimal emphasis on the rights of individuals with Severe Mental Illness (SMI), leading family members to use proxy practices. With the new legislation, these practices have to be seen in a new light. Proxy consultations may be allowed for information, advice, etc. but not for giving medications or making a diagnosis. Proxy prescriptions can be given if the patient gives prior authorization or through nominated representative in advanced directive. Psychiatrists may consider covert medications if the patient lacks capacity, but not in emergencies. Medication refills can be given with physicians' recommendation for a specific duration.

New technology, psychiatry, and the law: Panic, prudence, possibility.

Throughout human history, all new technology has been met with surprise, anxiety, panic, and - eventually - prudent adoption of certain aspects of specific technological advances. This pattern is evident in the histories of most technologies, ranging from steam power in the nineteenth century, to television in the twentieth century, and - now - 'artificial intelligence' (AI) in the twenty-first century. Each generation believes that the technological advances of its era are quantitatively and qualitatively different to those of previous generations, but the underlying phenomenon is the same: the shock of the new, followed by more gradual adjustment to (and of) new technology. These concerns are apparent today in relation to AI, which reflects interesting but incremental advances on existing technologies, rather than stand-alone developments. The usual concerns with all technologies (e.g., that they will replace certain aspects of human function) are, perhaps, more concerning in fields such as mental capacity law, which often applies to people with impaired decision-making capacity who might be especially vulnerable to technologies which appear capable of encroaching disproportionately on decision-making or other areas of core human function. This paper approaches this topic from an historical standpoint, noting both previous technological panics in the past and the possibilities offered by AI today, provided it is approached in a proportionate, prudent, and person-centered way, underpinned by appropriate ethical guidance and active ethical awareness in clinical and legal practice.

[Psychiatry without coercion-Exclude the coercion or the patients?] / Psychiatrie ohne Zwang ­ den Zwang ausschließen oder Patient:innen?

BACKGROUND: With reference to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD), a fundamental change in psychiatric care in Germany was proposed in 2019 by Zinkler and von Peter, supported by a legal perspective from Kammeier, which has since led to controversial debates. Essentially, the aim is not only to reduce coercion in psychiatry to a minimum, but also to fundamentally exclude it in a psychiatry that only provides care. The function as an agent of social control is to be returned from psychiatry to state institutions. Psychiatric hospitals will only admit patients with their consent; patients who refuse therapy will not be admitted regardless of their capacity for self-determination and will remain untreated or, if they have committed a criminal offence or threaten to commit a criminal offence, they will be taken into custody or imprisoned in accordance with the legal regulations applicable to all people. There they will receive psychiatric care if they so wish. AIM OF THE PAPER: The paper outlines the background of this concept, including international sources, traces the discussion in German specialist literature and takes a critical look at it. RESULTS: The criticism is primarily directed against the fact that responsibility for a relevant proportion of psychiatric patients would be handed over to the police and judiciary and that, as a result, two realities of care would be established that would considerably differ in terms of quality. CONCLUSION: Arguments are put forward in favor of retaining the function of social control and considerations are suggested as to how caring coercion can be largely minimized.

ChatGPT in private practice: The opportunities and pitfalls of novel technology.

OBJECTIVE: This article explores the transformative impact of OpenAI and ChatGPT on Australian medical practitioners, particularly psychiatrists in the private practice setting. It delves into the extensive benefits and limitations associated with integrating ChatGPT into medical practice, summarising current policies and scrutinising medicolegal implications. CONCLUSION: A careful assessment is imperative to determine whether the benefits of AI integration outweigh the associated risks. Practitioners are urged to review AI-generated content to ensure its accuracy, recognising that liability likely resides with them rather than with AI platforms, despite the lack of case law specific to negligence and AI in the Australian context at present. It is important to employ measures that ensure patient confidentiality is not breached and practitioners are encouraged to seek counsel from their professional indemnity insurer. There is considerable potential for future development of specialised AI software tailored specifically for the medical profession, making the use of AI more suitable for the medical field in the Australian legal landscape. Moving forward, it is essential to embrace technology and actively address its challenges rather than dismissing AI integration into medical practice. It is becoming increasingly essential that both the psychiatric community, medical community at large and policy makers develop comprehensive guidelines to fill existing policy gaps and adapt to the evolving landscape of AI technologies in healthcare.

The Basaglia Law. Returning dignity to psychiatric patients: the historical, political and social factors that led to the closure of psychiatric hospitals in Italy in 1978.

Law no. 180 of 1978, which led to the closure of psychiatric hospitals in Italy, has often been erroneously associated with one man, Franco Basaglia, but the reality is much more complex. Not only were countless people involved in the movement that led to the approval of this law, but we should also take into account the historical, social, and political factors that came into play. The 1970s in Italy were a time of change and political ferment which made this psychiatric revolution possible there and nowhere else in the world.

Discursos e imágenes sobre la desigualdad. Políticas públicas e institucionalización de la locura en el noroeste argentino (1935-1954) / Discourses and images on inequality. Public policy and institutionalization of madness in the argentinean northwest (1935-1954)

En la presente investigación analizaremos la primera institución psiquiátrica del noroeste argentino, específicamente en la provincia de Tucumán, el Hospital de Alienados (HA), desde el evento que impulsó su creación -la negativa de traslados interprovinciales de pacientes a colonias nacionales en 1935- hasta el retorno a dicha práctica por parte del Estado nacional -en 1954-. Hasta la creación del HA, las posibles respuestas para las personas con problemáticas psiquiátricas eran el traslado a instituciones en otras provincias o el encierro en un asilo de la ciudad y en establecimientos policiales. Ante las graves consecuencias de las últimas alternativas, y la cancelación de los traslados, tuvo que ser el propio Estado provincial el que hiciera frente a la problemática. El HA se constituyó como el primero en Argentina en pertenecer a un Estado provincial y no depender de las arcas nacionales. Este trabajo inaugural en los estudios historiográficos de la región nos permitirá analizar algunos procesos institucionales de las políticas en salud mental a nivel provincial y nacional, las concepciones sobre locura y encierro que se sostenían en aquella época, el flagelo de la pobreza como causa para enloquecer y el efecto de todo lo anterior en la opinión pública.(AU)

In the present investigation we will analyze the first psychiatric institution in northwestern Argentina, specifically in the province of Tucumán, the Hospital de Alienados (HA), from the event that prompted its creation -the refusal of interprovincial transfers of patients to national colonies in 1935- until the return to this practice by the national State -in 1954-Until the creation of the HA, the possible responses for people with psychiatric problems were transfer to institutions in other provinces or confinement in a city asylum and in police establishments. Given the serious consequences of the last alternatives, and the cancellation of the transfers, it had to be the provincial State itself that faced the problem. The HA was established as the first in Argentina to belong to a provincial State and not depend on the national coffers. This inaugural work in the historiographical studies of the region will allow us to analyze some institutional processes of mental health policies at the provincial and national level, the conceptions about madness and confinement that were held at that time, the scourge of poverty as a cause of craziness, and the effect of all of the above on public opinion.(AU)

Effects of structural features of psychiatric hospital settings on coercive measures

Background and Objectives Involuntary hospital admissions and coercive measures are a long-lasting burden in psychiatry. Many efforts have been undertaken to diminish these wearing circumstances. With the Bochum “track system,” which is structured in mental health teams across inpatient and outpatient clinics without any closed admission wards, we would like to present a new way of facing coercion. To examine the effects of establishing the so-called Bochum “‘track system”’ regarding the presumed reduction of coercive measures within a naturalistic, quantitative pre- and post- comparison.

The Law and Practice of Off-Label Prescribing and Physician Promotion.

Prescription of medications for off-label indications is an increasingly common practice; recent events highlight such prescribing as one of the cornerstones of evolving clinical treatment. Clinicians are afforded substantial deference in prescribing practices and other treatments falling within the realm of the actual practice of medicine, including prescribing for off-label indications. Yet clinicians are not necessarily free to promote a medication for the same off-label indication they may have just prescribed for a patient. While trends in jurisprudence appear to be favoring clinicians' freedom to promote prescription medication for any use, in a majority of jurisdictions, the U.S. government can still bring considerable weight to bear on clinicians promoting off-label uses of prescription medications. We review the relevant laws and regulations pertaining to off-label prescription and promotion, as well as the possible legal consequences. The regulations pertaining to physician and pharmaceutical manufacturers regarding off-label drug use are complex. Suggestions are provided to help physicians better navigate the medical-legal landscape when prescribing or promoting medications for off-label use. Physician mindfulness to pertinent legal precedents will allow them to prescribe and promote medications with a higher level of critical reasoning to optimize care and reduce risk.

[Professional liability in psychiatry: evolution and critical issues]. / La responsabilità professionale in psichiatria: evoluzione e criticità.

The aim of the article is to present the evolution of professional liability in psychiatry from law 36 of 1904 to today. Through an examination of the doctrinal positions and of the jurisprudential expression it was possible to highlight three distinct phases in which professional responsibility has declined over the years. A custodial phase, in which the spirit that animated the law of psychiatric assistance was inspired by principles of social defense and the responsibility of the psychiatrist was recognized mainly in the lack of custody of the psychiatric patient. A phase of indulgence, in which, like other disciplines, the psychiatrist was recognized with "reduced impunity" due to an alleged "special difficulty" in exercising the medical profession. A phase of empowerment, in which the doctor in general, and the psychiatrist in particular, was confronted with empowering positions that led to convictions. An examination of the application of the guarantee position to psychiatry allows us to highlight current difficulties, sometimes a legacy of the past.

A Human Rights-Based Approach to Psychiatry: Is It Possible?

While it is becoming more common to hear calls for a human rights-based approach (HRBA) to health, documented efforts to apply the approach in practice remain scant. This paper presents a review of a pilot study applying an HRBA to psychiatric care in Gothenburg, Sweden. Based on the reflections of some involved in the pilot, and on the evaluation carried out, it presents the context, process, effects, and lessons learned. In the paper, we structure our experiences of an HRBA around the United Nations' guiding principles of dignity and empowerment, equality and non-discrimination, participation and inclusion, accountability, and transparency. We discuss challenges encountered during the project, such as realizing meaningful participation and challenging the hierarchies of different professions within care. We also discuss successes, such as contributing to an overall strategic goal to eliminate all coercive measures in psychiatric care. We then offer our reflections, as the core team involved in the pilot, on how to make an HRBA sustainable in a large organization and provide practical recommendations based on our experiences.

Should euthanasia and assisted suicide for psychiatric disorders be permitted? A systematic review of reasons.

BACKGROUND: Euthanasia and assisted suicide (EAS) based on a psychiatric disorder (psychiatric EAS) continue to pose ethical and policy challenges, even in countries where the practice has been allowed for years. We conducted a systematic review of reasons, a specific type of review for bioethical questions designed to inform rational policy-making. Our aims were twofold: (1) to systematically identify all published reasons for and against the practice (2) to identify current gaps in the debate and areas for future research. METHODS: Following the PRISMA guidelines, we performed a search across seven electronic databases to include publications focusing on psychiatric EAS and providing ethical reasons. Reasons were grouped into domains by qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: We included 42 articles, most of which were written after 2013. Articles in favor and against were evenly distributed. Articles in favor were mostly full-length pieces written by non-clinicians, with articles against mostly reactive, commentary-type pieces written by clinicians. Reasons were categorized into eight domains: (1) mental and physical illness and suffering (2) decisional capacity (3) irremediability (4) goals of medicine and psychiatry (5) consequences for mental health care (6) psychiatric EAS and suicide (7) self-determination and authenticity (8) psychiatric EAS and refusal of life-sustaining treatment. Parity- (or discrimination-) based reasons were dominant across domains, mostly argued for by non-clinicians, while policy reasons were mostly pointed to by clinicians. CONCLUSIONS: The ethical debate about psychiatric EAS is relatively young, with prominent reasons of parity. More direct engagement is needed to address ethical and policy considerations.

Emergency mental health legislation in response to the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic in Ireland: Urgency, necessity and proportionality.

Many countries have enacted, or are in the process of enacting, emergency mental health legislation in response to the global pandemic of Covid-19 (coronavirus). In Ireland, the Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Act, 2020 amends the Mental Health Act 2001 to permit the Mental Health Commission to request an independent psychiatric report about an involuntary patient from any consultant psychiatrist who is not treating the patient (and not just those on its designated panel). This independent examination may occur 'in person', 'by other appropriate means', or even, 'due to the exigencies of the public health emergency', not occur at all, once this is explained in the resultant report. The 2020 Act acknowledges that 'the exigencies of the public health emergency' might hamper the independent psychiatrist's work and requires a written report from the patient's treating psychiatrist 'no earlier than the day before' the tribunal, in lieu of the psychiatrist physically attending a tribunal hearing, although, if possible, they will attend (i.e. phone in to) a tribunal held by conference call. The 2020 Act permits the Mental Health Commission to, if necessary, appoint tribunals 'consisting of one member who shall be a practising barrister or solicitor'. Such a tribunal shall, if possible, consult with a consultant psychiatrist if the reports from the independent psychiatrist and treating psychiatrist conflict or if it is otherwise 'necessary in the interest of the patient'. A tribunal can extend an involuntary order by a second period of 14 days 'of its own motion if the tribunal, having due regard to the interest of the patient, is satisfied that it is necessary'. Tribunals for current involuntary patients will be prioritised over retrospective tribunals for discharged patients; a tribunal can direct a witness to provide 'a written statement' rather than attending; and the patient can make written representation to the tribunal instead of physically attending a tribunal hearing, although they may attend (i.e. phone in to) a tribunal held by conference call. Psycho-surgery for involuntary patients is banned. While it is clear that revisions are urgent and necessary in light of Covid-19, the proportionality of these changes will depend on how, and the extent to which, they are used in practice. With good communication, efficient team-working and close adherence to professional codes of practice and ethics, it is hoped that these amendments will result in a review system that is as reasonable, robust and reassuring as the current, highly unusual circumstances permit.

[Psychiatry and bioethics: a critical relationship, an incentive to reflect]. / Psichiatria e bioetica: un rapporto critico, uno stimolo alla riflessione.

In the western world, especially in Italy, also legal attention to bioethical aspects is increasingly taking on importance in the debate at the medical, political and public level. In this debate, Psychiatry, as a scientific discipline closely integrated with the human and cultural, is underrepresented, little questioned on the many psychopathologal issues closely related to ethical aspects on complex themes. Against this background, Rivista di psichiatria, always keen to these topics, is designed to be a very special space for discussion with all the experts involved in mental health.